To truly understand how to bust through the email barrier it is helpful to first understand what a recipient is thinking when he or she receives a new email. The four main questions are:
1. Do I have to respond right now?
2. Can I delete it?
3. Do I need to hold onto it?
4. What am I being asked to do?
The goal then is to get the recipient to take action on your email now, not later. We all know how easy it is to hit the delete button or throw it into a folder, which often ends up in the same fatal destination. The next question becomes then how can we compose our emails to get the recipient to act right away? Here are a few suggestions you might try:
1. Compose an email that feels like a quick read. Avoid composing an email that would rival a War and Peace novel.
2. Draw the recipient in with compelling info (The goal of the subject line is to try to hook them)
3. Make the email easy to act on
4. Keep the email less than 200 words
5. Vary the paragraph lengths
6. Use a compelling first sentence
7. Make sure the email is not about you
8. Get conversational (instead of merely focused on the proper grammar)
9. Use a triggering event to catch the recipient’s attention
The use of email is a communication cornerstone in today’s business world but if you hope to break through the email barrier, you must avoid sending mundane or monotonous emails. Take one or more of the suggestions mentioned above and see if you can bust through.
Happy composing!